Research Library

Fellow Francisco J. Monaldi examines the factors that led to the collapse of Venezuela’s oil industry and the impact of sanctions against the country.

The outlook for the Venezuelan oil industry and the broader economic and political challenges facing the country are intrinsically linked. This report summarizes possible political and economic scenarios, as well as potential next steps for the country, discussed during a workshop convened by Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy.

The economic and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela took a turn for the worse in the second half of 2017. Declines in oil production and exports are accelerating. The government has fallen behind in debt payments, past the grace period in several cases. This report summarizes some key takeaways from an expert workshop convened by Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy to appraise these alarming developments.

Cultural myths — and by extension, the suppositions they inspire — have played a major role in shaping Venezuela's relationship with and management of oil resources throughout much of the last 100 years, writes nonresident fellow Luis Pacheco. To achieve sustainable economic and social development, Venezuela must move beyond such beliefs and establish a new approach that is more attuned to current times.

The author assesses the impact of inequality in Latin America and the methods used to measure it. 

View fellow Francisco Monaldi's assessment of the road ahead for Venezuela, a country rich in oil and gas that President Nicolás Maduro has led into economic dysfunction and crisis. Monaldi's comments in English are followed by the interview in Spanish. 

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro appears to be a month away from destroying all remnants of what was once one of Latin America's most stable democracies.

The development of the petroleum sector has been characterized by a succession of cycles of investment and expropriation that have been particularly pronounced in Latin America. This paper analyzes the causes of these cycles and the lessons that can be derived and applied during the implementation of the petroleum reform in Mexico.

Although the energy challenge is significant and requires a long-term view to be successfully addressed, long-term goals can be sustainably achieved through fundamental research and development.

U.S. policy should facilitate and support investment in Latin America’s oil and gas sectors, which would contribute to energy security and support economic integration with Mexico and Latin America, writes fellow Francisco J. Monaldi.